The control of diseases and pests is predominantly chemical. Many questions arise concerning the impact of these products on health and the environment (toxicity, pollinating insect populations, pollution, induction of resistance, etc.).
An increasing number of synthetic insecticides such as neonicotinoids are being banned by the European Union because of their harmful impact on the environment and particularly on bee pollinator populations.
In this context, numerous alternatives to these products are being developed. Based on plant extracts, animal excrement, elicitor molecules and auxiliary organisms, these alternatives are not always as consistently effective as conventional products. For this reason, they tend to be used as a complement to chemical protection with a view to reducing the latter.